


The Young of Fallen Grace

by limewire



Series: A Hunter's Woes Written in Green [2]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Moral Dilemmas, Pre-Red War (Destiny)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-10-04 23:12:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17313653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/limewire/pseuds/limewire
Summary: Keylime-3 is forced to face the reality of the enemies of humanity when he stumbles upon a Eliksni child.





	The Young of Fallen Grace

Io was quite the strange little moon, the last object touched by the Traveler before the Darkness arrived. Leaking with energy, bordering with life, and yet it still looked barren. Amazing how it all came from an extremely geologically active satellite, though. At least, that's what he's read in those non-fiction picture books he skims through from time to time.

Yellow dust swirled in the wake of the Keylime’s sparrow, speeding down a lengthy path in a task to investigate what appeared to be a damaged Fallen ship. It was observed to have quite the rough landing, but there's high chances that it'll be armed.

He stopped the sparrow behind a rock formation a ways away from the crash site, hopping off and peeking around the corner.

“Lots of soldiers on this one,” The Hunter started, pulling a high-impact sniper rifle from his back. “Not up to any good, I reckon.

He lined the rubber cup of the scope up to his face, the view of the crosshairs perfectly centered in the view of his optic. Carefully he swept the view across the group, pinning the red dot against the Captain first…

The shot cracked through the valley and the group was immediately alerted, various individuals scrambling for their weapons as the Hunter rapidly picked them off one by one. Vandals first, he can deal with Dregs and Wretches up close.

He mounted his sniper and pulled a heavy auto, making a dash for the approaching hostiles and picking off their heads with his precision shots.

He didn't think much of it, killing all these Fallen. On the surface of his thinking, they were just another enemy of humanity. Of everything he's seen them do, he knew he couldn't hold any pity towards them. Pity turns to empathy. Empathy turns to guilt. Guilt turns into hesitancy. Hesitancy leads to certain death.

So he did as he did every other mission, take out everything shooting at you, and he did. Bodies of once hostile Fallen laid strewn around him, his rifle's barrel smoking with ozone from the energy it crackled with.

Something rustled.

He whipped around, that very barrel pointing directly at the sound's source. It was behind a loose crate. He slowly moved around the corner of the crate, expecting to face a new enemy.

He instead faced everything he had been denying.

A small one, still very young, seeming as if they were small enough to fit in your hands. Four tiny glowing peepers filled with fear stared at the Hunter, right through his mask and into his heart.

Something… Something he had been building inside of him for so long was beginning to crumble. He never killed anyone who was defenseless, nevermind a child of all things. But why here? Why now? _Why him?_

Seeing something so small and so defenseless, the still weak and frail spawn of the group that he had just mercilessly mowed down without a second thought. Right in front of their eyes.

His rifle slipped out of his fingers, clattering on the hard stony ground in front of his feet. He didn't need to breath, yet he felt like he was suffocating on something rising deep inside his chest. The wall that he had forced onto himself, the  self-reassurance that he built up over his time as a Guardian telling him that what he was doing was right… It was a dam that was destined to break from the start.

He staggered back onto his knees, conflict clawing at his chest as he hastily undid and pulled off his helmet. The pairs of glowing eyes locked with one another, one filled with slowly diminishing terror and the other cracking under the crash of confusion threatening to slice his emotions into pieces.

“... Please… Please tell me, young one,” He spoke out from deep inside his chest, feeling as if he was slowly being gummed up with burning tar. “All of–All of this, is it… Is the Vanguard, it's… Is it right?"

It was worded less like a realization and more like a legitimate question. He needed something, anything to help balance out the irrational clashing between what he taught himself and what his heart was screaming out. He looked into those four bright blue eyes with desperation he hadn't felt before, hoping to the Traveler that this child would give him something. Even the voice of his own Ghost telling him to calm down was drowned out in his mind as he completely focused on the young Eliksni.

It took a long moment for the child to figure out what to do, but they definitely knew that this Guardian wasn't anything like what their older companions told in their stories. He seemed genuinely distressed, for reasons not understood. Whatever was happening inside his head, it didn't seem like he was going to hurt them.

He slowly crawled over to the hunched-over Hunter, slow and cautious. A single and very gentle clawed hand placed itself upon the arm that he was using to stabilize himself against the ground, the child hoping that he would notice.

And notice he did, his other hand pulling off of his face to glance down at the much smaller being that had approached him ever so carefully. His demeanor faltered for a moment, mostly from confusion, but he felt a small twinge of comfort for a split second that faded as soon as it came.

“... You can't– You can't possibly understand-”

All four of the child's hands patted on his arm now, and it only confused him more. Maybe they really didn't understand, maybe they did just have a heart of good in their tiny little body. One that they were even willing to use to console a Guardian that had just massacred all their companions faster than a lightspeed jump to Mars.

“... Oh, you… You sweet and  _naive_  child…” His free hand brushed against the side of the little face, digits trembling. He didn't understand. He didn't think that the child understood either, but that look in their eyes was telling him otherwise. Maybe.

A string of Eliksni chatter left their tiny voice box and the Hunter quickly pulled out his ghost to translate, wanting to be able to understand the intentions that the little one had. They both listened closely to the high-pitched patterns of chitters and somewhat gentle screeches, the Ghost taking a moment to process everything that was said.

“I think… The kid doesn't truly understand why you did what you did, but he sees your regret. If anything, he wants to forgive, maybe help as well.” The shining green and black Ghost turned back to his Guardian, also seeming a bit perplexed and yet he still kind of understood.

The Hunter's optics flitted to the ground, silently debating on what he should do next. There were many options to take, and he knew he needed to take the one where he could heal both himself and others if he could. Couldn't risk rupturing what's left of his stability and send him out of commission for a month. Again.

“... Well… You can't survive on your own. I know that. If…If you wanna come with me…”

He lifted his hood back up and pulled it to one side, as to offer a cozy opening for the child to rest in.

“I won't force you. What's the best option in your eyes is up to you.”

Four small eyes looked between him and the opening before they scuttled up his arm, curling around and making themself comfortable in the warmth between his hood and neck. He was surprised at first, wondering why they would even bother to tag along with him. But then… A warmth rose in his chest. The same warmth he felt when he was around people he was truly comfortable and safe with. A small voice telling him to make things right within himself as a Guardian.

He picked up his rifle, summoned his ship and transmatted in, taking a seat within the pilot's seat as he set course back to home.

* * *

 “You're gonna get in trouble with the Vanguard if you keep on befriending our _enemies_ , Keylime.” The video feed of a red and black Exo was visible inside the screens of the cockpit, his face looking worried rather than scornful. It was his fireteam member and father, Rocket-4

“Don't get me wrong, I like that you're able to make peace with all these potential enemies, but still… What will Zavala think of all of it?"

“Zavala can deal with it. He can give me all the shit he wants, at least I know that Cayde will be fine with it. And why would they come into my refuge of they're _potential enemies?_ They're refugees and orphans!”

“... Okay, okay, good point. But still, you always go to Cayde first. Why not Ikora? She can actually _convince_ Zavala, you know.”

“Because he's nice! And if there's anyone who's gonna approve of my certified Hunter bullshit first, it'll be him.”

“Yes yes, I've heard a hundred times, kid. Just… Be careful. Big Blue's had his glowy eyes on you ever since you took in Dusk.”

“And what about it? I can stare at him with my glowy green eyes, he's not special.”

“Oh my god, Keylime–…”

“I'll be fine, dad. I'll make sure of it. And if I'm not, _then_ I'll go to Ikora.”

“Right… I see your ship out the window now."

The transmission ended right as he pulled into the tower, making sure that the young Eliksni was hidden well in his hood. He rushed with haste down to his living space and locked the door behind him… Only to be met with another Exo that often visits.

“Oh, you're back!” The yellow and black Titan trotted up to his taller partner, excited about his return. “What happened on Io?”

Without a word, the Hunter pulled out the Eliksni from his hood, holding them gently in both hands. The Titan's yellow optics grew wide with awe and the sheer amount of _cute_ he was currently feeling.

“ _Oh my god._ Oh, by the Traveler, he's so _tiny…_ ” He raised his hands up to his face as he tried to contain himself, the child responding with chattering and reaching his tiny hands out.

“What should I call him, Mika? Does he have a name?” The Hunter tapped his foot and pondered. “Eliski names are very difficult to pronounce and even harder to translate.”

“It should be something cute, maybe! Something like, uhh… Hold on, lemme think.” The Titan's optics narrowed as he tried to come up with something, darting his sight over the appearance of the child.

“... Noodle.”

“What? That sounds stu… pid… Wait. Nevermind that, I take it back. That sounds cute.”

“But what does he think?”

Both of the Exos looked down to the Eliski inquisitively, to which the child responded with what could be assumed as a happy chitter.

“A good Earth name for a good little friend!” The Titan beamed and clasped his hands together with satisfaction, almost bouncing on the spot.

The Hunter felt… Eased. the least, only a little. A lot laid on their mind, mostly about his actions as a Guardian and where to easily get Ether from, but for now? He felt like this was a step in a good direction. Maybe a strange step, but a step nonetheless.


End file.
